Northside Pediatrics, PC

FAQs

Location, Parking, & Hours

Where are you located?

Our office is located at 3888 Northside Drive, Macon, GA 31210 at the corner of Ashley Woods Drive and Northside Drive. You’ll find a link to Google Maps here.

What kind of parking is available?

Plenty of parking is available in front of our building just a few feet from our entrance. Our building is single story and handicap-friendly.

What are your office hours?

We are open Monday through Friday. Our new hours are Monday’s and Wednesday’s 8:30 am to 7:00 pm. Tuesday, Thursday, and Fridays 8:30 to 5:30 pm and we answer our phones by 8 a.m.

Do you have Saturday hours?

We have rotating office hours on Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at one of the five doctors’ offices in Dr. Berry’s after-hours call group. If your child needs to be seen, you may call our regular office number 478.477.4044 and the nurse triage service will direct you to the doctor who can see your child on Saturday morning.

Financial Questions

What insurances do you accept?

We accept most private insurances including Blue Cross, Aetna, Secure Health, United Healthcare, Principal, etc. Call our office to verify that your insurance is one of our accepted plans. If we do not accept your insurance, or you do not have health insurance, you may pay in full at the time of your child’s visit. We are willing to work with parents to set up payment plans if that becomes necessary.

What kinds of payment do you accept?

We accept cash, personal checks, Visa, and Master Card.

Do I have to pay a co-pay every time my child is seen?

Yes. If your insurance plan has a co-payment, we are obligated by your insurance company to collect a co-payment from you each time that you are seen. This is a requirement of your insurance company and is part of your contract with them.

Can you bill my co-pay to me?

According to your contract with your insurance carrier, we must collect your co-payment at the time of your visit. If parents are divorced, the parent or guardian who is bringing the child must pay the co-pay at the time of the visit. If a grandparent or aunt is bringing your child to the doctor, he or she must pay the co-pay at the time of the visit.

Do I need to bring my insurance card each time my child is seen, even if none of the information has changed?

Yes, we need to see your insurance card at each visit.

New Patient Information for Newborns

What do I need to bring with me to my newborn child’s first appointment with Dr. Berry/ Dr. Gillespie?

If your child is a newborn, you will need to bring your insurance card and your co-payment.

How do I get insurance coverage for my child?

Parents need to add their child to their insurance policy BEFORE the child is thirty days old. Even though your child is covered as a newborn in the hospital, insurance companies still require you to formally add your child to your policy after you go home from the hospital. Failure to do so could result in the insurance company refusing to cover your child. You may call your insurance company using the toll-free number that is listed on the back of your insurance card.

Is Dr. Berry/ Dr. Gillespie affiliated with hospitals in Macon?

Will Dr. Berry/ Dr. Gillespie visit me and my newborn at the hospital?

Yes. When your child is born, notify the staff at Navicent Health or HCA Coliseum that you have chosen Dr. Berry/ Dr. Gillespie as your child’s pediatrician. The hospital staff will then notify Dr. Berry/ Dr. Gillespie, and they will visit you there.

May I meet Dr. Berry/ Dr. Gillespie before my child’s birth?

Dr. Berry and Dr. Gillespie welcomes the opportunity to meet you before your child is born. This is not a requirement, but rather a courtesy for our patients. Please call our office and schedule a fee-free consultation with them. They will talk with you about setting up your nursery, feeding questions, and other questions that you may have before the baby comes.

What is the schedule of visits to your office after my baby is born?

Dr. Berry and Dr. Gillespie use the Academy of Pediatrics schedule for visits. The schedule may vary slightly according to your child’s needs but generally, We will see your child within the first week of his/her discharge from the hospital, at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, 2 years, and then annually. To download our office visits schedule, click the button below:

New Patient Information for Older Children

What do I need to bring with my child for our first appointment with Dr. Berry/ Dr. Gillespie?

Your child’s immunization record and any other records of your child’s health. We can order a copy of your child’s health record from your child’s previous doctor and will need the doctor’s name, phone number, and fax number. You will need to sign a medical release requesting that health information.

If your child’s previous doctor is listed on your insurance card, you will need to get prior authorization from your insurance company to utilize Dr. Berry or Dr. Gillespie and will need to have Dr. Berry’s or Dr. Gillespie’s name listed on your child’s insurance card.

Baby Questions

Why, how, and how often should I breastfeed my baby?

There are many documented benefits of breastfeeding for mom and baby. There are numerous articles to help you, but you can start with the following:

How do I help my baby with constipation or diarrhea?

How can I help my baby who is spitting up after feeding, and when should I call my doctor about this?

How much sleep does my baby need?

Sleep is important for your children, and is important to their growth and development. Children sleep a great deal during their early years, and by age two have usually spent more time asleep than awake. Sleep patterns and needs for children vary. The National Sleep Foundation recommends the following amounts of sleep during a 24 hour period:

0-2 months: 10.5-18 hours

2-12 months: 14-15 hours

1-3 years: 12-14 hours

3-5 years: 11-13 hours

5-12 years: 10-11 hours

13-18 years: 8.5-9.5 hours

Child Questions

What can I do to help my child with diarrhea?

Generally, you can treat milder cases of diarrhea without consulting our office. The following article will give you guidelines for home care and also help you evaluate when you need to call our office for additional advice or to have your child examined.